Indiana’s restaurants continue to recover from the impact of COVID-19, but hotels continue to face challenges. Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association President & CEO Patrick Tamm praised the state’s recovery process during state officials’ COVID-19 press conference Wednesday.
“While we are significantly off pre-pandemic revenue levels, we are significantly better than our national peers and far and away the number-one seed, if you will, in the Midwest, in terms of revenue and sales,” Tamm said.
But he said the industry is far from healthy. Tamm said restaurants in downtown areas, many of them locally-owned, are having a harder time recovering than others. He noted that restaurants are not expected to return to pre-pandemic revenue levels for at least another year, but for hotels, that’s not expected to happen until 2024.
Still, he said hotels in Downtown Indianapolis are hiring and you can click now to apply for it through this portal. “You cannot find another market in the country or the world with group convention hotels that need people, need employees, at this time,” Tamm said.
Tamm credited Indiana’s recovery to consistent adherence to guidelines, the centralized vaccination program, and the cooperation of state officials, and he blasted other states that rolled back their reopenings as cases surged. “Significant numbers of restaurants and hotels and completely been obliterated by indecisive and inconsistent leadership at the executive level, as well as state health departments,” Tamm said. “You have not seen that in the State of Indiana once.”
Tamm encouraged Hoosiers to support restaurants in whatever way they feel comfortable, especially those in downtowns. “Go enjoy a staycation or find a new favorite getaway at a hotel throughout Indiana,” he added. “The Dunes in Northwest Indiana – fantastic family getaway and couples as well. I would greatly encourage you to enjoy that part of the state that many people in Indiana are not even aware of.”
Governor Eric Holcomb felt that the state’s economic indicators are moving in the right direction, but Indiana can’t sacrifice its health indicators, either.
